Eileen Gray’s E-1027 launches crowdfunding campaign for restoration of original interiors
A crowd-funding campaign has been launched to raise money for important restorations to Eileen Gray’s modernist villa E-1027 in the south of France. The house, which reopened in 2015 after crucial structural restoration saved it from falling into complete disrepair, now aims to restore the unique fixed and free-standing furnishings in the dining alcove, using Gray’s original materials and methods and to create disabled access to the villa.
There is much to celebrate about Gray, a contemporary of Le Corbusier, Gray was a tour de force of her time – unbounded in her creative output and a powerful, entrepreneurial female in an era dominated by men.
In 1926, architect Jean Badovici commissioned Gray to design his summer retreat in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the coast overlooking the Mediterranean sea. They had met in Paris, and Badovici encouraged Gray to express her creative vision through the design of the house, now an icon of modernist architecture.
Badovici was known for his passion for entertaining so Gray designed a unique dining alcove that combined all his cocktail-making needs into one clever piece. The foldable table transformed the corridor into a bar, while a bespoke container for slices of lemon was placed in convenient reach. No original furnishings exist in the dining room and bar, except Le Corbusier’s colourful mural, which is why the restoration is so important. Photographs, Gray’s drawings and surviving elements of her decoration and furniture that can be found in museums and private collections will provide the source material for the restoration.
A visit to E-1027 today consists of a guided tour around the villa within a group of 12 where a spoken history of the villa is complemented by archive photographs that show how the original interior looked. The planned restoration will help bring the interior back to life, so visitors can experience the true character of the house, how Gray intended it.
‘Eileen Gray was particular and precise in her materials, textures and colours in everything, hence our search for precision in our reconstructions. Her genius is in these details, and we seek to reproduce them precisely,’ says Michael Likierman, director at Cap Moderne, the non-profit association set up in 2014 to preserve the villa for the public.
E-1027 was rescued from dilapidation by the Cap Moderne association, set up by the Conservatoire du Littoral. Prior to 2014, and after Gray moved out in 1932, the house had experienced a tumultuous time falling into disrepair from neglect, used for target practice by German soldiers during the Second World War, and the site of a murder in the 1990s.
Thanks to the Cap Moderne, the Conservatoire du Littoral and the Friends of E-1027 group, the villa opened to the public in 2015 and since then visitor numbers have been on a steady and steep incline since the opening in 2015. They’re projected to double by the end of this year’s season which runs from May to October.
This month, creatives across the world are rallying together to help raise money towards the continuing restoration and improved facilities at E-1027. Designer Faye Toogood has joined the campaign in support, referencing Gray as an important inspiration to her: ‘As a female designer, I’ve long been inspired by her legacy as a rare female pioneer in the world of design. E-1027 is a radical modernist masterpiece and having suffered disrepair and near dereliction; this pertinent crowdfunding initiative will ensure its protection and is therefore crucial,’ she says.
Photographer François Halard has created some exclusive images of E-1027 and other rewards have been offered for those who contribute towards the campaign. Join Halard and Toogood to support the campaign before it ends on Saturday 10 November 2018.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Cap Moderne website and the crowdfunding campaign website.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
A new book highlights the work of Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu
‘Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu: Luxury Redefined’, published by Rizzoli, traces the career of leading Istanbul-based designer Zeynep Fadillioglu, the first woman to design a mosque in Turkey
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
London gallery Incubator’s six emerging artists to see in spring 2024
Incubator's spring programme features six artists in consecutive two-week solo shows at the London, Chiltern Street gallery
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Blue Copper Loft is a Dubai sanctuary for a modern nomad
Blue Copper Loft designed by Anarchitect in the heart of Dubai is a peaceful, yet luxurious sanctuary for a modern nomad
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
‘London Estates’ surveys the architecture and influence of the capital’s council-built homes
‘London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946-1981’, a new book by FUEL, is the perfect place to start for inspiration on how architecture can improve every sector of society
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
By Olorunfemi Adewuyi Published
-
Is this the shape of wellness architecture to come?
Explore the future of wellness architecture through trends and case studies – from a Finnish sauna restaurant to UK cabins and a calming Canadian vet clinic
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Restored former US embassy in Oslo brings Eero Saarinen’s vision into the 21st century
The former US embassy in Oslo by Finnish American modernist Eero Saarinen has been restored to its 20th-century glory and transformed for contemporary mixed use
By Giovanna Dunmall Published
-
Discover Dyde House, a lesser known Arthur Erickson gem
Dyde House by modernist architect Arthur Erickson is celebrated in a new film, premiered in Canada
By Hadani Ditmars Published